The last blog post did not really capture social classes in America, even though it was entitled "Social Classes in America." It was mostly about the social classes of countries. When each country has a generalized social class and it is compared to others, disparities appear. Not only do countries have differing levels of status within them, but countries compared together have differing statuses as well.
Let's touch on something that I intended to mention in the first post about social classes. This is about income. It's interesting, and it differs based on which statistics you use. Let me look something up, real right quick.
According to a CNBC article from September of last year, a family of four needs to earn about $50,000 to take them out of the lower class. That means that if they earned less that $50,000 they would be grouped into the most disadvantaged segment of society, according to my own terms and characterization.
The same family of four would have to make more than $150,000 to take them into the upper class. That means that earning between $50,000 and $150,000, the family of four would qualify as "stuck in the middle." They would have about an average amount of privilege, much more than the lower class, but clearly not as much as the upper class.
These values, are of course a little subjective. Someone could have a dastardly expensive rent, some other expenses or debts, which could take them out of an upper class or middle class lifestyle because they don't have much extra cash to play around with.
It is also wise to take into account where someone lives. If they live in Middle America, their expenses would likely be minimized compared to if they were living on the coasts. $150,000 stretches a lot farther in Cheyenne, Wyoming than it does in Seattle or New York. Thus, a person living in Cheyenne, making about $150,000 would see a lot more opportunities that their pocket book could afford them than if they were living in Midtown Manhattan, especially if they had a family of four to take care of.
Another thing to consider is the environment in which someone making an upper, middle, or lower class salary lives in. This time I'm referring to their social environment specifically. If someone lives in Connecticut, a wealthy neighborhood, let's say. They would be expected to send their children to boarding school, go on vacation, buy organic, top-quality groceries, and so on. Their social environment mandates that they have extra expenses, just in order to "keep up with the Joneses," as it were. Some people in middle class or lower class neighborhoods or environments might be criticized for spending big on something or having upscale goods, or worse yet, they could be targeted.
Ultimately, whether one has an upper class, middle class, or lower class lifestyle is not based on income, rather it deals with how a person lives their lives, the choices they make and can make, etc. It has to deal with a level of comfort, security in oneself and their belongings. It can change from time to time and fluctuate over the years, but that said, the mentality rarely ever changes. In fact, that is my own personal observation.
Let me know what you think in the comments below. I'm curious and eager to hear what other people think.
Thank you!
Lautio
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